US 5,482,117 A · Gas-liquid separator for well pumps

Abstract

A gas-liquid separator for a well pump includes a stationary helical baffle disposed in a tubular housing for separating gas from liquid and conducting gas through a center conduit disposed in the housing to a tubing string in communication with the separator or into the well annulus for flow to the surface. The baffle may be interposed in a conventional downhole submersible pump between the motor section and the pump section and the pump section may be modified to have a hollow impeller drive shaft for conducting gas separated by the separator through the pump section and out of gas discharge ports in the pump section housing. In an alternate embodiment gas is discharged from the hollow drive shaft into the tubing string and liquid separated from the gas is pumped through the pump section and out into the wellbore annulus. The baffle may have at least two stages, one of which causes some of the liquid being conducted through the separator to bypass the second separator stage and flow directly to the pump inlet so that more effective separation of gas from liquid occurs in the second stage and all of the liquid entering the pump inlet has minimal gas content.

Claims24

Dependent claims

In a well pump for pumping fluids from a wellbore space through a tubing string to the surface, said pump including a motor section and pump means drivenly connected to said motor section for pumping liquid through said well to the surface, the improvement characterized by:

a gas-liquid separator including housing means connected to said pump and in communication with a gas-liquid mixture in a wellbore space of said well;
a substantially helical baffle interposed in said housing means and operable to receive a gas-liquid mixture and for effecting separation of said gas-liquid mixture into a gas flow stream and a liquid flow stream;
a conduit disposed downstream of said baffle in the direction of flow of fluid through said separator for conducting gas to bypass said pump;
and
said housing means defines a passage for admitting liquid to an inlet opening of said pump for pumping said liquid through said well toward the surface.

2 more elements

In a well pump for pumping fluids from a wellbore space through a tubing string to the surface, said pump being adapted to be connected to an elongated tubing string extending within said wellbore space and said pump including a motor section, a pump section and a separator section interposed between said motor section and said pump section and operable to receive wellbore fluids to effect separation of gas from liquid in a gas-liquid mixture flowing to said separator section from said wellbore space, said separator section comprising:

an elongated, generally tubular housing operably connected at one end to said pump section;
a substantially helical baffle interposed in said housing and non-rotatable with respect to said housing, said baffle being operable to direct a gas-liquid mixture through said housing to effect separation of said gas-liquid mixture into a gas flow stream and a liquid flow stream;
a passage formed in said housing and communicating liquid from said baffle to a fluid inlet of said pump section;
means forming a passage in communication with said baffle for directing a gas flow stream to bypass a pump impeller means disposed in said pump section;
and
said baffle including a hub portion extending within said housing and forming a passage for extension of a pump drive shaft interconnecting said motor section with said pump section for driving said impeller means.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Gas-liquid separator for well pumps

Life of this patent

Gas-liquid separator for well pumps

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24